PUBLIC OPENING

Public Opening

MAY 20, 2016
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Finding a Contemporary Voice: The Legacy of Lloyd Kiva New and IAIA

Taking a Fritz Scholder group portrait of IAIA faculty and the legacy of the institution’s cofounder Lloyd Kiva New as starting points, this exhibition includes work by IAIA faculty and alumni from the 1960s to the present such as Scholder, Neil Parsons, T.C. Cannon, Melanie Yazzie, Hulleah Tsinhnahjinnie, and Will Wilson. New encouraged looking at new techniques and forms as a path to creating contemporary Indian art. The founding of IAIA in 1962 intersects with a significant moment in the history of Western Art. Ethnicity and culture, political ideology, feminism, and the inclusion of personal narratives became legitimate forms of expression in mainstream contemporary art. The early years of IAIA were also an era of consciousness raising and civil rights movements in the United States. Native American self-determination was a major issue for many indigenous artists.

Enough time has passed that the early days of IAIA, looking back half a century now, can be historicized and examined in greater context. The institution was founded during a period of great change and spurred shifts in how indigenous artists viewed themselves and their art, paving the way for Native American artists to take their place in the global contemporary art field. Looking at the issues of identity still being raised in contemporary Native American art, it is clear that the artwork of the 1960s and 70s began a conversation that continues to this day.

Con Carino : Artists Inspired by Lowriders

It takes a special vision and a lot of hard work to transform an abandoned car into a one-of-a-kind sculpture on wheels, but that’s exactly what makes New Mexico’s lowriders so special. Though they are works of art in their own right, lowriders have also inspired artists working in other mediums. Responding to this unique cultural icon in photographs, paintings, sculptures, and videos, the artists in this exhibition explore issues of family, gender, religion, and status. On view will be more than fifty works by artists including Lawrence Baca & Ron Rodriguez, Justin Favela, Miguel Gandert, Alex Harris, Nicholas Herrera, Arthur Lopez, Norman Mauskopf, El Moisés, Jack Parsons, Meridel Rubenstein, Luis Tapia, Don Usner, and others.